Adding accommodation to a campsite: AIIA's scope, regulations to check, sizing. Key points for structuring the project.
A campsite or outdoor hospitality operator considering adding tiny-house-style accommodation units to their site would do well to treat the project as a structured investment project, not as a simple equipment purchase. The scope of what a supplier such as AIIA takes on (design, supply and delivery of the units) and what remains the operator's responsibility (land, utility connections, administrative procedures, day-to-day operation) do not fully overlap: confusing the two is the most costly mistake at this stage of the project. This article sets out the questions to ask before launching this kind of installation, without drawing on any documented AIIA experience of this precise type of project to date.
Understanding the subject
Adding accommodation units to an existing campsite changes the very structure of the establishment: the number of pitches operated changes, the accommodation offer diversifies, and the target clientele may shift towards guests looking for a higher-quality experience. Within its Resort Collection dedicated to outdoor hospitality, AIIA offers units such as Span, Pod and Frame, positioned for this kind of intensive, four-season operation rather than for individual residence. The choice of model or models depends on the area available per pitch, the intended level of comfort and consistency with the offer already on site: criteria specific to each site, which a dedicated project study makes it possible to assess objectively rather than assume.
Adding accommodation to a campsite falls under a specific regulatory framework, distinct from that of a detached house. According to information published by the Directorate General for Enterprise of the French Ministry of the Economy, operating a developed campsite or a residential leisure park requires prior authorisation from the town hall of the municipality where it is located, as soon as the site exceeds six pitches or twenty people. If the number of pitches operated increases by more than 10%, a new classification application must be filed with the competent administrative authority (Article D.332-4 of the French Tourism Code): a project adding several units may therefore, depending on its scale, trigger this obligation.
Going further
The law also distinguishes HLL (light leisure dwellings), whose number is capped on a standard campsite (fewer than thirty-five units if the site has fewer than 175 pitches, or 20% of the total number of pitches, under Article R.111-38 of the French Urban Planning Code), from mobile leisure homes, which are subject to other restrictions depending on how the pitch is occupied (Article R.111-44). The exact classification of AIIA units with regard to this distinction (HLL or mobile home) is not publicly documented to date: data not available, to be checked model by model with AIIA and confirmed with the planning department of the relevant town hall before any application is filed. This article does not constitute legal advice.
As with all AIIA ranges, turnkey delivery covers what makes a unit habitable (structure, insulation, interior electrics and plumbing, fitted kitchen, fitted bathroom, water heater) but never covers the land, connections to the public water and electricity networks, or administrative procedures: these three elements remain the operator's responsibility, to be organised with a local professional, in coordination with AIIA for the schedule. For a project of several units on a campsite, this means planning the servicing of each pitch (access, networks) early on, rather than treating it as a side step once the units have been ordered.
The number of units to deploy depends on the available area, the target clientele and the regulatory thresholds mentioned above (HLL quota, 10% threshold triggering a new classification): a project oversized in relation to these thresholds may complicate operations more than it makes them profitable. This sizing question, specific to each site, is beyond the scope of this article and deserves to be addressed case by case with an AIIA adviser.
Practical advice
Once the project is up and running, long-term operation raises its own questions: upkeep of the accommodation stock, managing seasonality or moving to four-season operation, maintenance of materials exposed to outdoor conditions. These subjects go beyond the initial structuring scope covered here and deserve dedicated treatment; build times for the units themselves are not published as a general figure and are given in the quote, specific to each project.
Before launching a project to install tiny houses on a campsite, the following points are worth checking: the authorisation regime applicable to your site, with your town hall; the exact regulatory classification envisaged for the units, with your AIIA contact; the availability and cost of servicing each pitch; and the number of units compatible with your site's regulatory thresholds. As every campsite and every municipality has different rules, a professional project study makes it possible to assess these points objectively before any commitment.
